Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons are playing their best basketball of the season, going 6-2 over their last eight games.
Cunningham took over in overtime against the Hawks, scoring seven points in the extra time and controlling the game like a veteran.
This has some fans nervous, as the Pistons are creeping dangerously close to catching Oklahoma City for the league’s 4th-worst record, which would reduce their lottery odds slightly.
The Pistons still have a lot of tough games remaining on their schedule, so the odds are high that they will stay in the bottom three, or at least the bottom four.
But I am already seeing calls for the Pistons to “sit the veterans” in an effort to tank, which I do understand. Part of what makes suffering through another losing season bearable is the chance at a high draft pick, especially in a draft where there seems to a be a consensus top-three.
The Detroit Pistons may end up losing enough games to stay in the bottom three anyway, but it won’t because they tanked.
When you have a young team being led by a Rookie of the Year candidate, it’s pretty much impossible to tank.
Cade Cunningham wants the Rookie of the Year award
Cade Cunningham is in the middle of one of the closest Rookie of the Year races in recent years, as there are 3-4 guys who have legitimate cases.
Cunningham is super competitive, thinks he is the best rookie (his coach agrees) and wants to win this award.
He also wants to win games.
Are the Detroit Pistons supposed to tell their franchise player to not play well? To sit out games so the team can lose?
Obviously, that is not going to happen.
Cade Cunningham wants to keep playing well down the stretch and solidify his case for Rookie of the Year, and that alone will keep them in a lot of games.
Which veterans do the Detroit Pistons “rest”?
The classic tank move for young teams that start winning “meaningless” games down the stretch of a losing season is to “rest” the veterans, usually with nebulous injuries that cost them a few games.
But who exactly are the Pistons going to rest? There are only two candidates, Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk, otherwise, all of the big minutes are being played by the young guys.
Jerami Grant is playing well of late and has been a better fit in the offense than before his injury. It’s been Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey taking most of the shots and he’s been playing out of isolation less frequently.
Sitting him is the obvious tank move, but the Detroit Pistons are also trying to see how this fits together as they go into the offseason with a decision to make about Jerami Grant. Are they going to trade him? Could this squad (with Grant) contend for the playoffs next season with the right free-agent acquisition and draft pick?
There are real reasons for Cade, Bey, Grant and Isaiah Stewart as many reps as possible together this season so that Detroit can make a more informed decision in the offseason.
As for Kelly Olynyk, he’s not playing particularly well right now anyway, but the Pistons could use Luka Garza a little more down the stretch off the bench.
Other than that, there aren’t really any veterans to bench, as Cory Joseph isn’t exactly winning the Pistons any games right now. I am sure we’ll see more of Killian Hayes over Joseph in the final games, but that will probably increase their chances of winning.
We’ll likely see less of Olynyk and Joseph, but Jerami Grant is going to be out there as the Pistons try to build for their future.
The Detroit Pistons are trying to build something
Call me crazy, but the Detroit Pistons have looked like a pretty good NBA team over their last eight games and it’s exciting.
Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and even Killian Hayes are all playing their best basketball of the season as a unit and are starting to build some real chemistry, especially since the addition of Marvin Bagley III, who gives them a different look off the bench.
Bagley III caught three lobs for dunks last night from Cade and Killian and gives them a threat they haven’t had in their young careers.
Isaiah Livers had his best game of the season off the bench, and also gives the Pistons a weapon they haven’t had.
He can be that glue guy who does a little of everything and gives them an 3-point threat that they have lacked all season. He creates space and is a high I.Q. player who should make Cade even better.
This is exactly what we were hoping for this season, as the team is playing competitively behind their young guys and they are all getting plenty of minutes to develop, get better and build chemistry.
That is more important than a slight change in lottery odds, and is something Detroit can build on this offseason when they will be flush with cap space and likely adding another high draft pick.
The Detroit Pistons are building something and they’re not going to set it back by “tanking,” which would be difficult to do anyway and probably wouldn’t help their chances.